the adventures of a curious cat

July 25th, 2008 | Posted by Sharon Joy

My Little Southeast Asia Adventure – Thirteenth and Final Stop: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur was my first and last stop on this journey and such a nice finale to be met by a person I love so much. Oscar, our youngest in the family. Well, he’s not a baby anymore, but he’ll always be to me (much to his dislike) LOL.

He was only there for 1 day (me 3) so all we did together was eat as much as we can, and go to the Petronas towers. He was going to Sarawak to visit the parents after.

And then, back home sweet home.

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July 24th, 2008 | Posted by Sharon Joy

My Little Southeast Asia Adventure – Twelfth Stop: Bangkok, Thailand

I was reading the book Sophie’s World in Chiang Mai airport when a Italian guy sat next to me. It’s innate reflex that you’d look at whoever sat next to you and when I did, he said, “I’ve just finished reading that book”, I said “Interesting read, huh?” which progressed into more conversations. Since Air Asia planes have a free seating arrangement, he sat next to me. I know what you’re thinking. He was kinda cute so I didn’t mind. His name was Francisco.

He asked me where I was staying and I said I didn’t know yet but I’m going to scour Khao San Rd for cheap accommodation. He suggested a new guesthouse in Khao San Rd that’s really clean for only 200 baht and gave me the address. We took the same bus to Bangkok from the airport and then he asked for my number. I still had the Thailand SIM card I bought when I first arrived Bangkok and I gave him that number. Then we parted ways after we got off the bus.

I found the guesthouse he suggested and I was happy with it. Then I went out to check the scenery and then decided to have a few beers in a rock bar. I met Karen and Angela, two awesome, and hilarious British ladies there. They looked friendly so I asked if I could join them because I didn’t want to be on my own in a bar. We talked about traveling, and how they thought San Miguel Beer was from Spain (San Mig was served in that bar). They were quite surprised that it’s from the Philippines. They mentioned that the next day they would be getting their tattoos done (Angela’s 6th and Karen’s second), and I said I was planning exactly the same thing! (Funny how things turn out) I was supposed to get my tattoo done before I started my journey, but I was advised by my friends that it would be better if I get it in Thailand, and at the end of my journey because I’ll be doing a lot of travelling. I knew I had really smart friends. So when they asked if I wanted to come and meet them at noon the next day, I said yes right away.

When I went home, Francisco sent me an SMS asking if I’m up for clubbing. I replied with a “Sure”. He picked me up from the guesthouse and we went to a club at the end of Khao San Rd. He was already a bit drunk, and I was getting uncomfortable. So I told him I was tired and should go to bed. He offered to walk me home and I told him I can manage on my own and he doesn’t have to worry. When I got home, he texted me “You didn’t go straight home.” WTF? Was he stalking me? I did go straight home.

The next day, I was walking along Khao San Rd when this heavily bearded Indian man with a beard suddenly came out of nowhere and told me, “You’re a very lucky girl, you have a very happy face!” I was like, “Oohhkay… Thanks.” Then he went on about how he’s a fortune teller and at this point, I knew he was after MY fortune. I told him “It’s ok”. If he indeed was a fortune teller, he should have known I didn’t have much fortune with me. So I went and had lunch and as soon as I got out of the restaurant, the bearded Indian man was across the street, sitting on the pavement and calling after me! It was only around 11 and I’m not meeting Angela and Karen until another hour, so I decided to find out what this guy got. He asked me to sit beside him, which I did and he kept going on and on about how I’m a lucky girl, but I don’t have balance. Then he performed neat tricks like writing something in a piece of paper, asked me to hold it, asked me to choose 3 numbers and finally one, then asked me to open the piece of paper and voila! The final number that I chose (which was 7) was already written in there! Ok, cool trick. Then he wrote something else and made me choose 3 colors, and finally one color (blue) and then he showed me that he’s already written the word “blue” even before I chose it. Ok, now you’re talented. Now, he told me to “donate” money and he will tell me my fortune. I put in a few notes and he said “That’s it?” Why, aren’t you a cheeky one. Thank goodness I didn’t withdraw money yet and had only 300 baht with me so I put all 300 baht and showed him my wallet and told him that’s all I got. He then proceeds to tell me that I was going to live in another country that starts with an “A” and ends with “ustralia”. Then he tells me that something good will happen to me in September 29 of that year, and also around December. What freaked me out was he said something about my past that was spot on. He said if I give him more money, he’ll tell me my fortune but I told himI’d rather find out on my own. (He was asking for 5,ooo BAHT! WTF!) He told me he was not gonna tell me about my future, but instead the secret to finding balance. I told him, no thanks. He then said “But you’re not ok.” and I replied “I’m ok with being not ok.” He then smiled and shook my hand and let me go with his blessings.

Then I met with Karen and Angela at 12 noon and found out that Karen went through the same thing with a fortune teller. While I got ripped off of 300 baht (about $7) she got ripped off of $20! Then we decided to go tatto shopping, but didn’t really go tattoo shopping because we ended up getting it in the first shop we went to LOL! I stuck to the tattoo idea I wanted. The Filipino word “Malaya” which means “Free” written in the ancient Filipino script, Alibata. I printed out the script and pointed to the artist how I wanted it. I wanted it on my right ankle, the 3 characters forming a triangle. When people ask me why this particular design, and why in the ankle, there are many reasons actually, but I just say “I roam the earth freely.”

The next day, I was hanging out at a coffee shop and guess who came up to me. Francisco. At this point, he creeps me out already. He asked what I was doing that night and I told him I was gonna meet up with Couchsurfers. (I was making it up). He must have sensed it because he excused himself and left.

I was using a Nokia N95 then so I immediately used the coffeeshop’s wi-fi to check if CS Bangkok had any gathering that night. I’m in luck. A bunch of them are going to Khao San Rd to party. So I immediately texted the organizer Minimi that I’m joining. I met with them that night and had lots of fun. CSer Giovanni from Italy (I know, right) and I decided to go to Chatuchak weekend market the next day.

After Chatuchak, we met with couchsurfers again and left for the airport at midnight.

Bangkok was a BLAST.

reclining buddha

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July 24th, 2008 | Posted by Sharon Joy

My Little Southeast Asia Adventure – Eleventh Stop: Pai and Chiang Mai, Thailand
July 7 to July 10

As soon as I arrived Bangkok from Hanoi, I got on a 10-hour overnight bus and arrived Chiang Mai at 5AM. Thinking that none of the guesthouses were open yet, I decided to stay and eat breakfast at the bus station. At 6AM, I decided to go find the “popular” Julie Guesthouse.  When I got there, “WHOAH!” There were already about 15 people waiting to get a room ahead of me. And it was only 6AM! The guesthouse doesn’t open until 8 and by then, there were already at least 30 people waiting. Looks like I’m not gonna make it. So I decided to walk around the neighborhood to find nearby guesthouses, instead, I found an internet cafe. I decided to find an emergency CS couch!

I had already contacted a Couchsurfer before coming to Chiang Mai, but it so happens that when I get there, he’d be in Pai. We’ve became instant friends from our exchange of CS messages after he replied to my post in the CS Chiang Mai group. It’s very unlikely that you easily and comfortably connect with someone you’ve never seen face to face, but Steve was one of those people that I easily connected with.

I must have been in luck because when I sent an email to Steve telling him of my situation and asking him for advise on which couchsurfers in Chiang Mai I could approach that could take me in even without prior notice, he was online and immediately responded that I was crazy and I should get on a van and travel 3 hours to Pai. I just arrived from a 10 hour bus ride. What’s another 3 hours, right? He was checked in the posh Quarter Hotel and got a two-bed room and he was willing to offer me the other one and I could pay him however much I would although he said it wasn’t necessary because he’s already paid for the room (I think it was his way of making me feel that it was not in anyway a malicious invitation. Steve is such a real gentleman.)

So I went to Pai and finally met Steve, who’s kept me company in my previous travels through our CS messages. And boy was The Quarter Hotel NICE. It was like a breathe of heaven after running after buses and riding 10 hour trains for weeks. We stayed in Pai for a day, went biking around town, and I treat him to dinner. Then we went back to Chiang Mai the next day.

Everything about Chiang Mai is charming. Even Steve’s bungalow. I mostly did temple seeing that my host Steve said I’ve been templed-out LOL!

Steve had already lived here for a while that he can speak a some Thai, and Thai people get weirded out that the white guy can speak Thai and the Thai looking girl is just clueless. There were even a bunch of promo girls who won’t believe him and they think me and Steve were just pulling their legs LOL!

Click image to view photo album.

Golden Buddha

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July 23rd, 2008 | Posted by Sharon Joy

My Little Southeast Asia Adventure – Tenth Stop: Hanoi, Vietnam
July 3 to July 6

Decided to rest some legs and take a plane for this one. Another Low-cost airline that I’m loving now: Jetstar Pacific!

Hanoi, although the capital of Vietnam, is more retentive of Vietnam’s culture, traditions and is more old fashioned than Ho Chi Minh City.

Hoan Kiem Lake – Never have I seen any body of water as green as Hoan Kiem Lake. It almost literally look like a liquid emerald. Giant tortoises used to inhabit this lake. As for whether they still exist there, no one can be sure.

For me, it’s like Hanoi is like someone who is struggling whether to join the modern times, or be content of who she is now… old, but still pretty.

Click image to view photo album.

old house kitchen

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July 23rd, 2008 | Posted by Sharon Joy

My Little Southeast Asia Adventure – Ninth Stop: Hoi An Old Town, Vietnam
June 30 to July 3

Hoi An Old Town is the most beautiful, charming, and laid-back town I’ve ever been to. The old quarter of Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it’s so small that you can walk the entire town in less than an hour.

Funny story:

I took an overnight train (about 11 hours) from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang, where I would get a 45 mins bus to Hoi An. When I got off the train, I didn’t know where the bus station was because it wasn’t included in my Lonely Planet map of Danang, and Lonely Planet’s suggestion was to take a taxi. I was alone and didn’t have anyone to share cab fare with. The cab drivers were asking me 300,000VND which was about Php800! I wasn’t in a hurry so I decided to walk around Danang while finding the bus station. I had to resort to drawing an image of a bus to show people because no one spoke English. HAHA!

After walking for what may have been 20 minutes or so, a woman who spoke some English pointed me to where the bus station was. When I was about to cross an intersection I saw an old bus with open windows (so no aircon) that had a huge DANANG-HOI AN sign on top of the windshield. I didn’t think it would stop where I was because it looked like it was turning left on the intersection. On the bus’s rear exit door, the driver’s assistant (you know, those who collects the money) was shouting at me “Hoi An? Hoi An?” and I kept nodding my head, happy to know that I didn’t have to walk all the way to the station. The assistant shouted to the driver to pull over (ok, I’m assuming that’s what he said) and got off the bus to help me with my huge backpack. The driver may not have heard him because it kept running. When he looked back, the bus was already a good distance away and still running! He ran as fast as he COULD while shouting to what I assume was, “STOOOOOOP! YOU STUPID FUCK! STOOOOOOP! STOOOOOOP! YOU SON OF A BITCH STOOOOOP!” with all his might. As he was running after his bus, I was running after him. I didn’t want to miss that damn bus either.

Luckily, one of the passengers must’ve heard him, looked back and saw the driver’s panic stricken assistant run like the wind and told the driver to pull over. When we got to the bus, the assistant was still swearing and went directly to the driver to reprimand him. HAHAHAHA!

Hoi An:

When I got to Hoi An, I got a motorbike to take me to town. I already had a guesthouse in mind (from my travel bible Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a shoestring) but my driver took me to a different guesthouse. I learned this is what they do, because they get a commission from the hotels or guesthouses. I told him he took me to the wrong place and he should take me to the guesthouse I had originally told him. Since we have already agreed on a price, I didn’t pay him to take me there. While riding the motorbike, I was already falling in love with the place. Streets were so small that cars aren’t allowed to get in so you either walk by foot or bike your way around. Beautiful little shops filled with colorful paintings, lanterns, handwoven products, custom-made clothes, etc etc etc. When I got to the guesthouse I wanted, I was told it was full. Luckily, there were a lot of guesthouses to choose from in this place. I found a cheap but nice hotel (with a bathtub for $10!) and settled.

The only couchsurfing.com member I found here is Arfan, an Indonesian who is the general manager of a beautiful 4-star boutique resort in Hoi An. Though he couldn’t host me he was very nice to let me use the pool (best pool I’ve ever swam in my life by the way) and the resort’s gym for free.

The next day, I rented a bike for one dollar to go to the beach which was about 5kms away. The receptionsist told me it was only 2kms away. It was my first time to ride a bike again after more than 15 years so you can imagine me wiggling and trying to get my balance. Soon, I was driving faster. After driving for what I think was definitely more than 2kms already, I still didn’t find any beach! I was getting frustrated and hot that I turned my bicycle around and decided to just go back. Then I remembered a few lines from one of my favorite poems “Don’t Quit”,

Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

I turned my bike around again and told myself to just drive and drive and no matter how long it will take me. I will get to that goddamn beach.

Sure enough, I wasn’t very far at that point anymore. About 5 minutes later, I saw the beach right at the end of the road. I loved that feeling. That rewarding feeling after I went for it, worked hard for it, and deciding not to give up even when I was at a point of giving up.

Ahhh… Hoi An is one of those places that will captivate you and you find yourself always sighing at it’s charming beauty. Very peaceful, very friendly, very laid-back, very romantic, very calm. People were already asleep by 10.30PM, there are no loud bars where you can dance all night. (I guess that’s the only draw back for me because I love to dance.)

But it’s such a delightful little place. Sigh…

Click image to view photo album.

Colorful

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